Astros invitee Peter Moylan says ‘I’m not done yet’

2014 Astros Spring Training roster

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Peter Moylan is 35 years old. Before this year, the Astros righthander and Australia native had never fully experienced winter.

He didn’t cherish it.

A one-time pharmaceutical sales rep, Moylan spent 2006-12 with the Braves, and he still has a home in Atlanta. He began the offseason in Australia for 10 weeks before heading back to Georgia, where he said he saw the temperature climb over 60 degrees maybe twice.

“It was my first real winter to be honest,” Moylan said. “I can leave that (experience), I didn’t need it.”

A sidearmer, Moylan is in Astros camp as a non-roster invitee. He signed a minor league deal this winter and has a June 1 opt out clause, but he hopes he won’t need it.

Moylan’s made a combined 35 major league appearances the last three years, which isn’t many. The 2013 season was his first with an organization other than the Braves, with the powerhouse Dodgers.

He allowed 11 runs in 15 1/3 innings, good for a 6.46 ERA, but he did much better at Class AAA Albuquerque, with a 2.74 ERA in 46 innings.
After throwing a bullpen session on Friday, Moylan said the reason he signed with the Astros was simple.

“I guess you can put it down to, I feel like I’m not done yet,” Moylan said. “It’s been an interesting three years. Injuries and you can’t help that. I’m healthy now, 100 percent healthy. I was healthy last year, couple of nibbling things last year, (although I) wasn’t 100 percent the start of year but I managed to get to 100 percent mid-year. I just kept on getting stronger from there.”

The Dodgers had a lot of talent. The Astros, to Moylan and others, are something of a land of opportunity. This was the worst team in the majors last season, it’s a young and growing team. Chances can be found with the Astros that might be scarce elsewhere.

Moylan had a 1.80 ERA for the Braves in 2007 and sub-3 ERAs in 2008-09. But opportunity can disappear quickly.

“It’s not the way that I’d like it to be scripted up,” Moylan said of his last three years. “But I still can’t complain about it, I mean, let’s be honest. I came over here as a 28-year-old and I’ve got six years in the big leagues and I’m still getting the opportunity to pitch.”

Moylan is most effective against righthanded hitters, but he thinks after last year at Class AAA, he can do a better job against lefties too.

Lifetime in the majors, Moylan’s allowed lefties a .414 on-base percentage, compared to .279 for righties. Lefties hit only .255 against him at Class AAA last year — 29 points higher than righties — but lefties still had a strong OBP, .386.

“It was literally to the point where I would I see two lefties coming up on deck and I’d say, ‘Alright, well my job’s done,’ because they’d always bring in a lefty behind me,’” Moylan said. “Last year it was, ‘OK, I got to bear down, and learn how to get those guys down.’ I changed the way I pitch, I’ve changed my approach. It’s not just, ‘Rear back and fire sinkers as hard as I can.’”